


Nightfall

by peaceminusweareone



Series: The Moonlight Trilogy [1]
Category: VIXX
Genre: 5vixx are dating hongbin is new to everything, Coven AU, M/M, Ot6 relationship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, WITCHES AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 21:21:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12920499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peaceminusweareone/pseuds/peaceminusweareone
Summary: Hongbin is told, through some very strange events and dreams, that he is a witch. Witches, in this world, are very rare and must join one of few covens around the world. Without a coven, they will lose their abilities, and some even die. However, Hongbin is lucky enough to find a small coven of five that are willing to take him in. This is his, well, their story.





	1. Welcome, Child

A wrought iron gate was the first thing to greet Hongbin as he approached the house. Mansion was probably a better word for it, actually. The house was large, white, and rather intimidating, if he was being honest with himself. Nothing about the house was  _ homey.  _ And the iron gate in front of him, wasn’t exactly throwing him a welcome party. It was at least nine feet tall, and quite old looking. Ancient, actually. The tops of the fence posts were adorned with black spikes, threatening anyone who dared try climb or jump this fence. 

 

Looking upwards, Hongbin noticed writing above the gate in a language he hadn’t seen before, but it somehow spoke to him. 

 

_ ‘Receperunt filii lunae.’ _

 

Not knowing what else to do at this point, he prayed to a God he wasn’t sure existed, placed his hand on the cold iron, and pushed.

 

To no avail.

 

Sighing heavily, Hongbin dropped his suitcase and began to search for a latch or handle, or anything that could grant him entrance. 

 

“Listen, I know we’ve never met before, but would you please let me IN?” Bartering with a gate was always a good sign. The events that had led him to this point weren’t any stranger, though. At this point, he had learned it was always better to just go with it, rather than to question the circumstances. 

 

Placing both hands on the gate, he looked up at the writing again, trying to understand it. He had no idea what it literally meant, but it welcomed him. It was warm in contrast to the cold metal under his fingers. It was welcoming in contrast to the fucking gate he was fighting. Opening his mouth to speak to the gate again, unfamiliar words and palatal sounds tumbled from his lips.

 

Before he could ask himself what happened, the gate swung open, causing Hongbin to fall forwards and meet the rough bricks with his hands.

 

_ Another great start _ , he thought to himself as he picked himself (and his bruised pride) off the ground. 

 

With sore hands, Hongbin lifted his suitcase from the sidewalk where he had dropped it earlier, and began to drag it towards the front door of the goliath of the house in front of him. The walkway leading him to the house was reminiscent of the yellow brick road from The Wizard of Oz. Which, would make him Dorothy. The parallels between the story and his current situation were laughable.

 

He felt as lost as she must’ve.

 

Following a brick path and hoping for a new life or whatever, at the end of that path. And the whole ‘wizard’. That was funny to him as well. It was the reason he was here. If you had told him two months ago, that he would be walking into a Gothic mansion in the countryside to join a coven of witches and that he himself, was a witch, he would’ve told you to fuck off. None of it sounded real. 

 

The dreams, the weird shit that started happening, and the fucking RAVENS. He could’ve lived with the dude that kept showing up in his dreams, he could’ve lived with the random nose bleeds and dishes flying off of their shelves unprovoked, but the ravens? Absolutely not. 

 

Thinking about it now, he felt as if he were being watched. 

 

Keeping his head down, he shifted his eyes towards the abundance of trees and immediately found the source of said feeling.

 

Ravens.

 

Again.

 

Upon eye contact, three left their perches and flew towards him at a pace he wasn’t exactly comfortable with. Left with no other options, Hongbin ran. 

 

And screamed. 

 

Very loudly.

 

The sound of his high top Converse sneakers hitting the bricks was accompanied by (very manly) screaming and the sound of a suitcase being dragged, was enough to get the door to open. 

 

It seemingly opened by itself, but Hongbin was in no mood to question it. Bolting up the stairs, the male chucked his suitcase inside and slammed the door behind him. “I am so tired of those fucking BIRDS.” He yelled before sighing and leaning against the door, trying to catch his breath. Once again, he felt eyes upon him. 

 

Opening his eyes, Hongbin was met with four pairs of eyes staring back at him. His embarrassment took a moment to kick into high gear, but when it did, it was obvious, as his hands flew to his mouth and his eyes grew to the size of small dinner plates.

 

He managed to squeak out a very feeble,  _ I’m sorry,  _ before a voice came from the top of the staircase. “What are you guys staring at- oh my gods!” The source of the voice began running down the stairs and was in front of Hongbin in record time. “You made it!” 

 

Hongbin was still frozen with embarrassment as the man took him into his arms tightly. Usually, unsolicited hugs were not okay with Hongbin, but something about whoever was holding him, was different. He felt warm and happy the second the hug started. Giving in to whatever he was feeling, Hongbin relaxed into the hug.

 

The embrace was ruined by the man gripping his shoulders and pushing him back so he could look at him. The man holding him was extremely handsome. Thinking about it, everyone in the room was handsome. Almost eerily so. The hug man was still looking at him, taking in every feature of his face. “Hyung, I think you’re scaring him.” At this, the man let go and turned to look at whoever said it.

 

“Sanghyuk, let me handle this. I’m sure you remember being new.”

 

“It’s not like that was 30 years ago. Or anything.”

 

“Oh, so THAT’S how you’re gonna talk to me, in front of our new friend?”

 

“I’m sorry, newbie, Hakyeon hyung here is a bit. Touchy?” Sanghyuk addressed Hongbin. “You’ll get used to it eventually. Hopefully before the equinox celebration, anyways.” 

 

Nodding slowly, Hongbin apparently displayed the confusion he was feeling as Sanghyuk added, “It’s very uh, how do you say? Fuck it, it’s basically an orgy.” 

 

Hongbin choked on his saliva.

 

“Not in the traditional sense! It’s classy! There’s a fire and moonlight an-”

 

“OKAY, enough!”

 

Hongbin was extremely thankful for Hakyeon’s interjection as he was beginning to feel dizzy from all the information that was being thrown at him. He hadn’t been there for more than an hour and there was already talk of orgies. 

 

“He doesn’t even know our names and you’re already talking about our celebrations?” A quiet voice came from a rather large man with shoulder length black hair. The man opened his mouth once again, but closed it upon second thought. 

 

Hakyeon snapped out of his thoughts at the voice and nodded. “Ah! Introductions are a good place to start.” At this, Hongbin laughed quietly. “I think so.”

 

“Well, as I’m sure you’ve gathered by now, I’m Hakyeon. I’m the oldest and the founder of this coven. I, as well as the others here,” He gestured around to the other males in the room, “Will be your new family basically. We’re here to guide you as you learn your powers and how to control them, blah blah blah.” Hakyeon laughed softly, scratching the back of his head in thought. “I’m also the one who has been plaguing your dreams for the past few months. Sorry about that.” 

 

Hongbin couldn’t help the sound of realization that left his mouth. 

 

_ That’s why he seemed familiar. _

 

“It’s fine! I mean, it got me here, didn’t it?” He wasn’t lying. He never would’ve known any of this if it weren’t for those dreams (and Google. God bless Google). At this, Hakyeon nodded. 

 

The only blonde in the room took this opportunity to step forward and speak. “I’m Jaehwan, I’m an Aries and I like to walks on the beach.” This earned an icy glare from Hakyeon and suddenly Jaehwan jumped, gripping his arm. “What the fuck was that for?”

 

“Be serious right now, he’s new and needs to know who you are. This isn’t Tinder.”

 

“You’re right, it’s more like Grindr in this house.” 

 

“Jaehwan. I’m not fucking around right now.”

 

“Okay sorry, Jesus.” Jaehwan sighs. “He’s out of season right now so he’s a bit dramatic.” Another glare is issued by Hakyeon but he continues. “Anyways, I’m Jaehwan and I’m the third oldest.” 

 

Hongbin stifles a laugh at the absurdity of it all. He isn’t quite sure he understands what Hakyeon did, but it definitely made Jaehwan act right. Maybe he’ll gather up the courage to ask someone what happened, later. Maybe. He was so lost in thought, he almost missed an introduction.

 

A man with deep red hair had stepped forward and started speaking. He was extremely attractive to Hongbin, as he found himself watching his lips rather than listening to what he was saying. He wasn’t even dressed up, just wearing sweatpants, a hoodie, and reading glasses, but for some reason, Hongbin couldn’t focus. Catching himself, he realized the man had stopped speaking and was looking at him expectantly.

 

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t quite catch your name?” Hongbin tripped over his words, feeling like he was in middle school again and just now realizing how attractive he found boys.

 

“I’m Wonshik! I guess the little journey you took to get here still has you a little confused, hm?” The man, Wonshik, laughed softly, expecting a response. Hongbin could only respond with his brightest and most genuine smile.  Not realizing he had kept eye contact for as long as he had, Hongbin was brought out of his Wonshik induced stupor by Sanghyuk’s hand blocking his line of vision and waving around wildly. “Newbie? You still there?” 

 

Hongbin jumped, his attention darting to Sanghyuk and away from Wonshik. Almost. In the corner of his eye, he notices the quiet man from earlier hitting Wonshik and scolding him with a whisper.  _ This shit keeps getting stranger and stranger.  _

 

“You already know my name but in case you really did get fucked up from your trip here, I’m Sanghyuk. The baby of the house, as Hakyeon hyung will never let me forget.” At this, Hakyeon adds, “Never.” Hongbin nods once again and turns to the man next to Wonshik, expecting another introduction to be tossed at him. Instead he catches his eyes and is instantly told everything he needs to know.

 

_ ‘Taekwoon. Second oldest. Telepath.’ _

 

The last word explains everything, although it seems a bit surreal to him. Telepaths are things you only hear of in movies. Or fiction novels. But, so are witches, so what’s the difference? Hongbin is lost in his thoughts again, but that doesn’t stop Jaehwan. “So, you know all of us now, but only Hakyeon knows who you are.”

 

Shaking his head, Hongbin emerges from his thoughts and finally speaks. “Shit, right. Uh, I’m Hongbin. I’m sorry for seeming kinda distant it’s just, a lot to take in?” He looks around, hoping to gain some sort of sympathy. Taekwoon grants it.

 

_ ‘Don’t be scared.’ _

 

Wonshik smiles at Taekwoon and then at Hongbin. “What he said. Go on!” 

 

Hongbin takes a breath and presses on. “Like. I understand why I’m here. But I don’t know what I’m doing. Like at all.” Suddenly, the room feels warm and he’s very aware of his blood flowing through his veins. Complete and utter silence falls upon his ears. He’s an inch away from freaking out when he feels breath hit his neck.

 

The source of the breath is Jaehwan. “Don’t freak out kid, none of us knew why we were here, either. You won’t get it until your birthday. Unless you’re a bit different, like Sanghyuk.” The words weren’t anything special, but they had Hongbin’s knees weak. The warmth from the room feels like it  was wrapping hypothetical arms around him and pulling him in, urging him to feel comfortable and safe. Loved and cared for. It’s addictive and Hongbin finds himself letting out a breathless, ‘Okay’ in response to Jaehwan.

 

At this, Jaehwan steps back, smiling at Hongbin. The warm feeling slowly fizzles away and Hongbin is simply left to wonder.

 

_ What the fuck is going on in this house. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic is my baby so comments and kudos would are very welcome!


	2. Worn Books and Whispers

_8 Days._

 

Hongbin followed Hakyeon closely, trying not to get lost in the unfamiliar store. The shop was a bit dark and smelled strongly of cinnamon and other spices he couldn’t identify. Nothing about it screamed, _hey! This is the one stop spot to get all of your witching supplies!_ If anything, it seemed like a pop up Halloween store, crossed with a very goth Target.

 

A lot less corporate, though.

 

The two males seemed to be the only shoppers in the small establishment. And there wasn’t a shopkeeper in sight. This did not deter Hakyeon, as the older male flew through the store, mumbling about candles and thread, and did he say needles?

 

Although he had been living this new life of his for the past week, he still hadn't fully wrapped his mind around it. The supplies Hakyeon were desperately hunting for, were for Hongbin's 'aging' ceremony. The others called it the 'emergence'.

 

It sounds a bit more important and far more dramatic than '22nd birthday party'. And from everything Hakyeon had been told, this would be his last birthday.

 

"After this, you won't age anymore." Jaehwan had told him. Sanghyuk's '30 years ago' comment had stuck out in Hongbin's mind. "I'm actually around 75. I kinda stopped counting after the 60's." The younger male's mouth dropped open at this. "Hey! Don't think about it. You'll get wrinkles if you worry about that shit too much."

 

Hongbin was still trying to digest this information. The fact that after this birthday, he wouldn't age anymore. Immortal. Pretty fucking awesome, but pretty scary at the same time.

 

His train of thought was quickly derailed by Hakyeon tapping his shoulder. "Hongbin? I kinda need an answer while we're here"

 

Blinking quickly and desperately trying to recall what had been said to him, Hongbin was drawing a complete blank, so to speak. "I'm sorry, what was the question?"

 

After sighing and mumbling something about 'no one in this coven listens to me' and 'I should just burn myself at the stake, see if any of you care', Hakyeon tries again. "There are two ways to do this ceremony. We can do it inside, or outside."

 

Thinking carefully on the options, Hongbin decided. "Inside. Just in case it rains." Nodding at the answer, Hakyeon bends down and grabs a small box, containing what looks like white sidewalk chalk. Of course it wasn't, but no one was offering an explanation for what it was, so he had decided to make his own.

 

Hakyeon was beginning to load down the small wicker basket with various objects. Long black candles, beige colored twine, small branches that smell heavily of foreign spices, rocks that seem to have been weathered by years of flowing water and elements, a small glass basin, and a satchel of needles.

 

The older male was heading to the counter to pay when a row of books caught Hongbin's eye. Checking to see if Hakyeon was behind him, he headed to the display.

 

The titles weren't anything like he expected, but what could he really expect? All of this was terribly new to him. It was exciting, but terrifying. The spines of the books seemed aged and worn, as if the books had just been passed down and passed down. Hongbin reached for a dark green book, with the title of _'My Sign and Me: Habits for Your Season.’_ Confused about what that could mean, Hongbin opens the cover.

 

The pages of the book feel just as old as the cover. Slightly yellowed and stiff. The words on the page seemed to have been written by hand, however long ago. Looking over his shoulder once more and shifting his weight to one side, Hongbin began to read quietly.

 

"When in season, a witch should always mind their temper. Taking extra abilities and newfound strengths into account, a young witch should be calm and composed at all times." Confusion was evident in Hongbin's whisper as he read aloud to himself, hoping to understand more this way. Just as he began to read the next passage, a hand clapped on his shoulder and Hongbin swore loudly.

 

"Hyung- fuck, don't scare me like that!" Laughing his fright off, he closed the book and placed it back in its shelf carefully. He couldn’t bring himself to just toss it into a shelf, so he took his time trying to arrange it so it was the same as when he had found it.

 

Dusting off his hands, he turned to Hakyeon just in time to see concern and conflict flit across his face. Before the younger man could fully react and ask what was wrong, the troubled face was replaced with his signature smile, and they were heading out of the shop.

 

Outside, it was all too bright for Hongbin’s taste. Not to sound like an edgy teenager, but he had been staying inside these past few days. Taking in as much knowledge of this new world (well, it had always been there, but it was new to him) as he possibly could.

 

From his new found immortality, to Jaehwan’s propensity for “setting the mood”, as he would say.

 

It sounds a lot better than emotional manipulation via magical resources aka his brain, if you asked Jaehwan himself.

 

Turning to say something to Hakyeon, he noticed the other male had fallen quite a few steps behind and was gripping his head with one hand, apparently trying to soothe a pain. “Are you okay?”

 

Squinting at him and blinking a few times, Hakyeon slowly replied. “I’m fine, I just got the strangest headache. Haven’t had one like that in awhile.” It didn’t sound like Hakyeon was hiding anything and it definitely didn’t feel like he was lying. His eyes were watery and he barely had them open. Hongbin couldn’t fight the urge to hug him tightly, so he succumbed to the urge.

 

It wasn’t a big bear hug like he wanted, if anything it was a loose embrace, but he still hoped for it to have some effect. Hugging seemingly fixes all ailments, and he was hoping it would work for headaches. Stepping back, he examined Hakyeon’s face and spoke again.

 

“Maybe Taekwoon hyung can make a tea that will help you? He seems like he’s really good with those things.” He offered, wrapping his arm around Hakyeon’s shoulder and beginning to walk again. The older male nodded gently and muttered something about left over feverfew in the cabinet.

 

The walk back home was slow, but it was serene. Even though he was sick, Hakyeon brought Hongbin extreme amounts of comfort. He’d never admit that, though. But it was nice having someone to guide you, especially through something as turbulent as this. He had helped him with everything from setting up his room to listening to his fears of not becoming a good witch.

 

In the short time he had been there, he was definitely closest to Hakyeon. The others seemed to be some impenetrable pack that intimidated him a bit, if he was being honest. They were so close, it just seemed hard to fit in, at times. And they were all equally close. He was just as likely to find Wonshik and Sanghyuk cuddled up on the couch, as he was to find Jaehwan crowding Taekwoon’s space as he tries to work on a new elixir, potion, or whatever brew he was working on at the moment.

 

It was weird to Hongbin, but he wanted to be a part of it, already.

 

He wanted to get closer to them all.

 

Sanghyuk’s words about the equinox celebration still rang clearly in his ears. That would be extremely awkward for all of them if they weren’t familiar with this new kid who had just up and joined their decades, almost century, old coven.

 

He had so much to learn and so little time. Forever is a small amount of time when the world you thought you had figured out, flips and rearranges itself right before your eyes. To be fair, his entire reality had been altered. He’d like to say he was learning pretty fast, thank you very much.

 

Two days into living with the others, his nosebleeds finally stopped. Now, things would still fly off of their shelves when Hongbin got a bit too heated over a lost game of Overwatch. He had gone through two clocks and a picture frame in a week. But it wasn’t as random as it had been, and he was very happy for that.

 

After what seemed like hours, they arrived at the famous wrought iron gate.

 

_Hello darkness, my old friend._

 

Wordlessly, Hakyeon handed him the wicker basket and Hongbin took it with eager hands and watched him like a hawk.

 

Taking a deep breath, Hakyeon stepped forward and placed his hand on the gate, where the latch should be. Looking at the black words, he spoke in the same unfamiliar tongue that had come from Hongbin a week ago. Only this time it was deliberate.

 

And Hakyeon didn’t faceplant.

 

Like some people.

 

Hongbin must’ve looked like a very confused goldfish when Hakyeon turned to face him, as the latter laughed loudly and took his basket back, along with Hongbin’s hand, placing it in his. Now, Hongbin had three things to wonder. 1) How the fuck did he open that gate, 2) Why is Hakyeon holding his hand, and 3) Why is it making him so excited?

 

Deciding quickly that question one was most important, he gathered up the courage and asked.

 

“Hyung?”

 

“Mhm?”

 

“What did you just do back there?”

 

“Oh, with the gate?” The older male looked up from the brick path, smiling broadly at Hongbin and earning a nod with his question. “Well, you should know!” With this, Hakyeon nudged his shoulder with his own, teasing at him. “You figured it out on your first day! We were all impressed with that, honestly.” His tone was earnest as he praised Hongbin.

 

Typically, this would’ve caused him to blush, but he wanted answers far more than he wanted to be cute, at the moment. “I did it, but I really don’t know how.” Hakyeon stopped walking and turned to face Hongbin. “So you’ve never studied Latin?” He asked.

 

His question was met with a very slow and confused shake of the head.

His eyes were scrutinizing the younger’s face, searching for some sign of mischief or flippancy.

 

When he didn’t find any, he turned on the spot and began to lead (read: drag) Hongbin into the house. Once inside the foyer, Hakyeon began calling everyone else, telling them to ‘get their asses downstairs right now’. A sleepy Wonshik and Jaehwan emerged from one room, Taekwoon from one, and an annoyed Sanghyuk from another. As they began their decent down the stairs, Hakyeon spoke to Hongbin again.

 

“Can you go to your room for a bit? We have some things to discuss and you need to be well rested for your Emergence.” His smile was plastered on and Hongbin couldn’t bring himself to argue with the man.

 

Muttering a _‘sure’,_ he turned and started to walk up the stairs slowly. He made sure to take his time, as well. It was extremely obvious that he was the topic of discussion, but he didn’t want to put up a fuss. They had called a meeting under similar circumstances when Hongbin had first arrived. It made him uneasy, knowing that he was the topic of a full blown secretive discussion. He wanted to know what was being talked about.

 

The others were clearly listening for the sound of his door closing as a signal for them to begin the discussion. And Hongbin made sure the sound of closing his door was audible. He even accentuated his footsteps to make sure they knew he was sitting on his bed.

 

Flopping onto his back and making his bed creak loudly, Hongbin took out his phone and began to type in the title of the book he had picked up earlier. There wasn’t a jacket on the physical copy of the book, so he was very surprised when there was one on the digital version.

 

The wordings confused him. He hadn’t seen some of these words before, at least not in the context that they were being used in.

 

_Celestial Cycles_

 

_Apogee_

 

_Perigee_

 

_Auttunment_

 

_Elemental Spirit_

 

Going to the handy glossary in the digital copy, he searched for any of those terms. He found apogee first.

 

_Apogee - In relation to astronomy, Apogee occurs when the moon reaches its farthest point from the Earth. However, in relation to witchcraft, it is when a witch is weakest, as one derives their abilities from the Moon herself._

The paragraph was completely new information to Hongbin. In all the time he had been there, no one had taken the time to even mention the moon. Quickly gazing at the book, references to the moon were seemingly everywhere.

 

Before he could take an adventure on Google, his thoughts were shattered by what sounded like yelling, coming from downstairs. Locking his phone and heading to his door, Hongbin carefully pushed it open, trying not to make any noise.

 

The position he was in was rather uncomfortable. His face was smashed against the doorframe and he was using almost all of the strength in his left arm, trying not to fall out of the door and blow his cover. Shoving his face through the small gap he had made, he calmed his breathing and tried to focus on what was being said downstairs.

 

It seemed like it was only Jaehwan and Hakyeon that were raising their voices, at this point. Earlier it sounded like Sanghyuk was somewhere in the mix, but his voice was nowhere to be found, now.

 

“What is the problem with him understanding his House?” Jaehwan was clearly countering a point made by Hakyeon, as his voice carried an edge that sought blood. “It’s not like he won’t figure it out tomorrow.”

 

Racking his brain for what tomorrow was, Hongbin quickly remembered.

 

Tomorrow was the 22nd, the autumn equinox.

 

The fucking ceremony (no pun intended) was tomorrow.

 

Taking a deep breath and trying not to panic, Hongbin dismissed all thoughts of the next night in favor of listening to the response Hakyeon would give.

 

“I didn’t want him to come into season before he Emerges, Jaehwan.” He lowers his voice and Hongbin can only make out something about not having much of a choice. Listening this hard was getting tiring for Hongbin. He was only catching a few words here and there.

 

Deciding to listen for just a bit longer, he leans his weight against the door and listens as the others begin to head back to their rooms. Before he closes it, he hears Hakyeon speak again.

 

“He’s a Cardinal. It’s going to take him longer to adapt to everything.” The eldest just sounds tired at this point, like he’s explaining something to a child for the hundredth time. “You’re one. I’m one. Fuck, Sanghyuk is one. Sanghyuk even Emerged early.”

The others were getting closer, so Hongbin had no other choice but to close the door, but he needed to hear this, even if he wasn’t sure what it all meant. “He will need all of our help, but we especially, need to be prepared for everything that can happen.”

 

With that, Hongbin closed the door. He didn’t quite get his head fully inside his room before Taekwoon made it to the top of the stairs and gave him a very knowing smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if nothing makes sense in this chapter, it will later on but feel free to yell at me on twitter (in case this link continues to hate me, i'm @fentykibum)


	3. Comfort in Discovery

_ 7 days. _

 

Hongbin was growing restless.

 

It was early in the morning, three in the morning, to be exact, and he couldn’t stop his thoughts. He had so many questions and had seemingly ran out of time to find answers. The self blaming had just begun when he heard someone moving around in their room.

 

It wasn’t very hard to hear people, at this hour. The house was completely quiet, save for the constant ticking of a clock somewhere and trees blowing in the cold air outside of their windows. Deciding that this was a better option than lying awake until the sun rose, Hongbin swung his legs off of his bed and headed outside of his room to find who was awake at this hour. 

 

Creeping towards his door and opening it carefully, Hongbin stepped outside and only made it a few steps down the hallway when he found the source of the noise.

 

His eyes caught Hongbin’s and his face broke out in a relieved smile. “Fuck, I thought you were Hakyeon,” Sanghyuk laughed and gestured down to his bowl of what appeared to be cereal, “He always gets on to me for bringing shit like this upstairs, so this stays between us.” He laughed softly and Hongbin couldn’t help but smile at how quickly the tension left his mind and body.

 

Turning the door handle and tucking the bowl carefully in his arm, Sanghyuk pushed the door open with his foot and tilted his head towards the entrance. “Wanna hang out for a bit? I have some shit in my netflix queue that I’ve been meaning to watch.”

 

“Oh, yeah!” Hongbin checked behind himself and headed to the younger male’s room, a bit too eagerly. When he stepped inside, he quietly pulled the door behind himself and joined Sanghyuk who was sitting on his bed and attacking that poor bowl of cereal. He was somehow controlling the TV and devouring the cereal at the same time, with equal fever. Pretty impressive, if you asked Hongbin.

 

Sanghyuk finally found the movie he wanted. It was some cheap action film but the muscular man on the poster was enough to stop the smart remark that was about to roll off of Hongbin’s tongue. 

 

The movie is just loud explosions, guns, and scantily clad blonde women, Hongbin had to find some redeemable qualities somewhere. 

 

It’s not his fault that ‘somewhere’ happened to be Mr. Hotty McMuscles Face. 

 

The opening credits had just ended when Sanghyuk sat his bowl down with a loud burp and an impressed chuckle. It was times like this when Hongbin questioned his own attraction to men.

  
  


Hongbin prided himself on his ability to stay silent during movies. It was nice letting the movie be the center of attention and just enjoying it. No conversation to be had, other than that of the characters on the screen. No comments to be made. Just peacefully enjoying another person’s company.

 

Sanghyuk, however, did not possess this quality, and was seemingly annoyed by the other male’s silence. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

 

The sudden pausing of the movie mid explosion was enough to get Hongbin’s attention. “What?” He was trying not to sound annoyed when he answered, but all feelings of annoyance faded when he noticed the actually concerned look on Sanghyuk’s face. Taken aback by it, he changed his tone. “Why do you think somethings wrong?”

 

His question was answered with a shrug. “I dunno, you just seem really fuckin’ tense. Like, more than usual,” He quickly turned to Hongbin, offering an apologetic smile, “No offense, I was tense too when I was new here.” 

 

_ Okay, this is my chance to ask. Now or never. _

 

Taking a quiet and deep breath, Hongbin decided to take his chance. “Actually, something is wrong. Well, kind of?” His sentences were beginning to rush together, as he was trying to get everything out before Sanghyuk had a chance to react. “I’m just, really nervous about the ceremony tonight.” Sighing with the feeling of relief that came with telling the truth, Hongbin laid back on the bed and smiled softly when he felt Sanghyuk join him.

 

It was quiet for a moment, causing that same pesky anxiety from earlier to well up in Hongbin’s chest again. The sound of the younger male breathing and drumming his fingers on top of his other hand was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing in that Hongbin knew he was still there and had heard his fears, but a curse because he could swear he could hear Sanghyuk thinking and it was driving him nuts because why hasn’t he spoken, yet?

 

Just as Hongbin was about to break the silence, Sanghyuk took it upon himself to do it. “That’s completely normal,” There was a small pause as he gathered his thoughts, but he quickly pressed on. “I mean. I’d be scared shitless if I were you. I’ve been trying to include you in whatever this coven calls a relationship, but I didn’t want to force it on you.”

 

Thinking back on it, Hongbin had noticed a influx of skinship involving him in the past few days. From Taekwoon silently holding his hand at dinner, to Jaehwan plopping down on his lap to watch TV.

 

The latter was very memorable, given that Jaehwan does not like to stay still when watching TV and that Hongbin is a sexually frustrated guy in his twenties.

Brushing off those thoughts, Hongbin rolls on his side to face Sanghyuk. “I noticed it, kind of.” He said quietly, a bit embarrassed now. “I just didn’t think much of it.” He was being truthful. He had figured out that something was going on between all of them by his second day there. It was so obvious. He just never thought they’d want him, too. These thoughts weren’t something he was going to voice to Sanghyuk, though. At least not now, anyways. 

 

Sanghyuk nodded and rolled over to face Hongbin, making this conversation instantly more intimate and a lot easier to have.

 

“Do you want to be included in all of this?” His tone was way gentler than Hongbin had ever heard him use. So far from the playful or sarcastic tone he usually had. 

 

“I don’t want to ruin it, or whatever.” The words quickly fell from Hongbin’s mouth, surprising both himself and Sanghyuk. It was sometime past four in the morning and here he was, spilling his fears while lying in another man’s bed.

 

Before Hongbin could begin to wallow in self pity, Sanghyuk’s hands surged forwards, grabbing both of the other’s hands and holding them in his own.

 

“Don’t think that you’d ruin it. Like, ever.” Again with the unusual tones. This one was more strict than the one used earlier, but in a way that made it feel like Hongbin was being scolded for eating cookies before dinner or breaking a vase. “If anything, you will make it better.”

 

Surprise was the first thing the older boy felt, followed by sudden warmth in his cheeks that he only prayed that Sanghyuk couldn’t see. “Why do you say that?” This was genuine curiosity, not self doubt.

 

“Everything just works better when a coven is also romantically involved.” Sanghyuk explained, “No joke, it can make everything from seasonal ceremonies to injury recoveries work better and move faster. Something about elemental energies or some shit like that, if you want the details, ask Hakyeon, but yeah,” He paused briefly to laugh at his own words, which brought a soft smile to Hongbin’s face, “You’re here because you belong with us. Don’t worry about tearing us apart.” 

 

At this point, Hongbin was blushing wildly, his heart was pounding, and his mind was running a mile a minute. Sanghyuk’s words were flying around in his mind and his thumbs were rubbing the backs of his hands in a way that was so comforting that Hongbin could’ve fallen asleep, had it not been for his stupid emotions.

 

“So..” Hongbin began to trail off, “About tonight?” His tone was like sticking his toe in a lake that he knew was too cold, but he had to try it anyways. He was terrified but the least he could do was ask. It’s not like the ceremony was a long time for now, he could just wait until later and figure it out all at once.

 

But Lee Hongbin was not about that life.

 

Sanghyuk seemed to mull over the question for a bit, tossing it around and looking it it from multiple angles in his mind. The gears were clearly turning and Hongbin swore that if he looked hard enough, he’d see tendrils of smoke coming from his ears. “Are you scared about it being awkward?”

 

Hongbin thought for a moment. “Kind of?” 

 

“Are you a virgin?”

 

“Of course not!”

 

“Why are you scared then?” Sanghyuk sounded genuinely confused, as if he was thinking Hongbin has attended multiple orgies in his life. Especially ritualistic ones that occurred outside during an equinox.

 

Just a regular Tuesday for Hongbin.

 

Giving up on politeness momentarily, Hongbin rolls his eyes. “It’s not everyday that you have an orgy,” Seeing a counterpoint forming on Sanghyuk’s tongue, he continued, “I haven’t even kissed any of you, for fucksake.” 

 

Hongbin sighed in annoyance before rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling as if it had done him wrong. This shouldn’t seem like a dilemma. He’s getting to participate in his first orgy with very, very, attractive men and he’s getting his first taste of true witchcraft, not just broken clocks and angry ravens.

 

Finally done staring at the ceiling for what seemed like forever, Hongbin grew tired of the silence that was filling the room and rolled back on his side, catching Sanghyuk’s eyes.

 

He looked like he was thinking.

 

And that scared Hongbin. 

 

Just as he was about to make a sarcastic remark about Sanghyuk waking up Taekwoon by thinking so damn hard, Hongbin felt hands on his face. His eyes darted to Sanghyuk’s and before he could even process the sentence he wanted to say, his lips were captured.

 

If it weren’t for the lips on top of his, Hongbin would’ve been sputtering and just lost. But the way Sanghyuk’s lips moved against his was enough to calm him and help him find his way. 

 

However, he wasn’t about to let him win that easily.

Breaking the kiss, Hongbin pushed Sanghyuk away, causing a very confused look to appear on the latter’s face. Sanghyuk got to release a very confused, “What?”, before he was pushed on his back and the weight of Hongbin on his stomach shut him up.

 

“We’re gonna do this my way,” Hongbin whispered into Sanghyuk’s face, his lips brushing against the younger’s in a way that he could only hope drove him nuts with need.

 

His suspicions were confirmed by frantic nodding and Sanghyuk lifting his head up and almost chasing after his hyung’s lips. This satisfied Hongbin enough to place his lips back on Sanghyuk’s, this time leading the slow push and pull.

 

It wasn’t as sexual as it was experimental. The sensuality of it was simply a side effect of exploration. Large hands roamed down Hongbin’s sides, gripping his hips gently, almost unsure. To be fair, Hongbin was a little unsure about this too, but that didn’t stop him from his task.

 

The screen had faded to black at this point, leaving soft pants and the sounds of lips clashing and separating as the only sounds filling the room and it was beyond maddening. The experimental element of this had gone out of the window rather quickly. The second Hongbin ground his hips on Sanghyuk’s quickly hardening member, it was on.

 

Hongbin was tossed on to his back with surprising ease, earning a squeak of surprise to come from the older man. It was quickly swallowed by Sanghyuk, though, who had taken the liberty of climbing on top of Hongbin and mouthing at his neck. It was way too much for Hongbin, who let out a rather loud and embarrassing moan at this contact.

 

The weight of Sanghyuk on top of him was almost too much to bare. He was solid in all the right places, pressing against Hongbin and keeping him right where he wanted him. The old bed was creaking a bit, due to the slow rock of Hongbin’s hips against the younger male’s thigh. The friction was delicious but it wasn’t near enough. 

 

His search for friction was interrupted by a hand sliding down his stomach, fiddling with the ties to his pajama pants. “Stop being a fucking tease,” Hongbin spoke through gritted teeth, afraid to raise his voice. He was growing impatient and the man on top of him wasn’t doing much to help it. He was only making things far worse. 

 

Sanghyuk seemingly ignored this plea in favor of grazing the outline of Hongbin’s cock that was currently straining against the thin fabric of his pants. His fingers drug up the length and stopped to toy with the head, smiling at the reaction he earned. “Fuck, you may not be a virgin, but it’s been awhile, I bet.” His tone was teasing and so fucking annoying. All Hongbin wanted to do was punch him in the face and tell him to fuck off, but instead he found himself nodding.

 

“Shame,” This time, Sanghyuk actually slid his hand into Hongbin’s pants, loosely gripping at his cock, “You make the prettiest sounds, hyung.” Hongbin moaned at the praise. He would never admit how much praise got him off, but at this point it was very obvious.

 

If Sanghyuk couldn’t tell by the way Hongbin’s cock throbbed in his hand, he was a fucking idiot.

 

The hand slowly tightened its grip, tugging slowly at the painfully hard length. What Sanghyuk lacked in class and manners, he surely made up for with his handjobs. He was very attentive to what made Hongbin whimper and squirm the most and made sure to repeat it. The first time he drug his thumb between the swollen glands and pressed against the hole tentatively, Hongbin almost came on the spot with a very loud, ‘fuck!’. 

 

Hongbin had known that Sanghyuk was way stronger than he needed to be. It was obvious from how he would just move furniture with ease, despite being able to do it a lot more efficiently with magic. Or how he would lift up the others, mainly Taekwoon, for no apparent reason other than he just  _ felt  _ like it. And Hongbin was getting to feel all of that strength now. His mind was cloudy and he was completely swept up in everything he was feeling.

 

“You look so blissed out, hyung,” Sanghyuk’s deep voice snapped him out of his haze, wordlessly commanding the older to look down at him, “I can’t wait to see how you’re gonna look tonight.” With this, he placed a lingering kiss that was centimeters from the base of Hongbin’s cock, causing him to groan. 

 

Honestly, Hongbin couldn’t wait for the ceremony either.

 

Just the thought of this and more happening caused him to moan out loud and throw his arm across his face, attempting to hide whatever shame he still had left. He was reaching his peak way faster than he wanted to admit but it was really difficult NOT to. 

 

Sanghyuk had given up on teasing and had now wrapped his lips around Hongbin’s tip and was lightly sucking, his tongue occasionally darting out and licking up the length. Even with Hongbin’s cock in his mouth, the younger never failed to remind him who was in charge. One of his hands remained around Hongbin, while the other kept his hips firmly planted to the bed.

 

Hongbin was so close and wanted nothing more than to fuck Sanghyuk’s mouth to completion. His mouth felt so perfect around him and he wanted nothing more than to cum. His whimpers were steadily increasing as he managed to rock his hips a little, despite what Sanghyuk would’ve wanted. “I never would’ve taken you for someone who could cum so fast.”

 

Hongbin was beginning to feel humiliated, so he did what anyone else would’ve.

 

He lied his ass off.

 

“I’m not about to cum.” His voice completely betrayed his words. He sounded like he belonged in a cheesy porno, but he wasn’t gonna let up.

 

“Is that so?” Sanghyuk looked up at him, watching the older as he continued his ministrations. He looked so sinful. His lips were glistening with a mix of what was probably spit and precum and they seemed to be a bit swollen. Before Hongbin could gather his words or even try, his cock was squeezed a bit too harshly, causing pain to bloom throughout his body, but a loud moan to fall from his lips. “I should just stop then, since you clearly aren’t enjoying this.”

 

Sanghyuk was clearly bluffing. It was very obvious as to how much Hongbin enjoyed everything, from his moans to the small whimpers of ‘yes’ and ‘fuck’ that would occasionally fill the room when something felt too good. But that wasn’t stopping Hongbin from abandoning his last bits of shame and begging.

 

“I am!” He was almost frantic in the way he answered, sitting up on his elbows and getting a better look at Sanghyuk. “Please, I want to cum.” His desperation was having an effect on Sanghyuk, he could tell from the small shiver that went through him at the begging. He gathered himself quickly though, staring Hongbin on the eyes and licking a broad stripe up his length before replying.

 

“I’m not convinced.”

 

Hongbin wanted to scream in frustration. He was teetering on the edge and his mind was far more cloudy than before. He hadn’t came in so long and the last time he had, it wasn’t very satisfactory. It was nothing compared to this. He started babbling, saying almost any and everything that he thought would convince Sanghyuk into letting him cum. The earlier feelings of humiliation returned as he begged, but it did nothing but drive him closer to the edge. 

 

Chuckling at this, Sanghyuk began to pepper the head of Hongbin’s cock with soft and chaste kisses, basking in the twitches and whimpers that came from this. He must’ve gotten bored of this, as he spoke again. “You may cum.” 

 

It took a few more tightly gripped strokes before Hongbin found himself coming undone, moaning loudly and gripping at the sheets tightly. His heart was pounding and the room seemed to be filled with static, making the hairs on his arms stand up slightly and adding to the overall tingling sensation of his orgasm. He felt like he was floating, not so sure of what’s going on, but enjoying the oblivious feeling it provided. This was only broken by the feeling of a wet cloth on his stomach. His attention snapped to Sanghyuk, who had taken the liberty of wiping the cum off of his abdomen.

 

_ And they say romance is dead. _

 

Hongbin was growing tired and really didn’t want to leave the room, and Sanghyuk didn’t seem to be in a hurry to make him leave. The younger male was absentmindedly playing with Hongbin’s dark locks, letting them run through his fingers and then drop back down to his head in a way that probably made him look like a rooster with a hairspray addiction, but Hongbin was a sucker for any kind of affection and just let it slide.

 

“Hyung?” Sanghyuk’s voice was barely above a whisper as he looked down at Hongbin, probably checking for closed eyes.

 

“Yeah?” Hongbin answered lazily, stirring slightly to prove his (barely there) awareness.

 

“You can stay here tonight,” The slightly hopeful tone brought the ghost of a smile to Hongbin’s face, “If you want, though.” Sanghyuk was clearly trying to cover his ass and not seem like a complete sap and Hongbin decided to let him win this round.

 

Nodding in confirmation, Hongbin peeled himself away from the warm form behind him and crawled towards the head of the bed, letting his head land on the pillow closest to him. It was a few moments later, after he had turned off the TV, that he felt Sanghyuk return to the bed. He was pressed against Hongbin and was the equivalent of a human furnace (which was much appreciated by Hongbin). 

 

“Goodnight, hyung.” 

 

“Goodnight, Hyuk.”

\--

 

They had only gotten around five hours of sleep before they were awoken by whispers.

 

“I’ll be damned. He already got his claws in the rookie.”

 

“I’m surprised Hakyeon didn’t get him first.”

 

“Excuse you? I don’t enjoy putting my hands on you, but today, I will make an exemption to that.”

 

“You’re the biggest slut in this house, Taekwoon hears everything and he talks in his sleep, sometimes.”

 

“Lilith took her time with Sanghyuk, this is really some of her finest work.”

 

“Do you ever shut the fuck up about Lilith?”

 

This was answered with a shrill gasp and a thud, most likely a sound of impact.

 

Hongbin creaked his eyes open and his suspicions were confirmed by Wonshik holding his arm protectively, mumbling something about how ‘touchy Aries’ could be sometimes’ as Taekwoon stifled a chuckle. 

 

Hakyeon quickly noticed Hongbin’s eyes were open and shoved a still arguing Jaehwan, trying to shut him up. “Good morning, Bin!” That voice was way too chiper for it to be this early, but Hongbin brought himself to grunt in response and rubbing at his eyes. Sanghyuk was still sleeping behind him, his arm wrapped tightly around Hongbin’s waist. He didn’t even have time to enjoy the sweet gesture before Hakyeon was speaking again.

 

“Both of you need to get up, today is a big day and we need to get downstairs to prepare.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Hongbin nodded and stepped out of bed, ignoring the sound of protest that came from the man that was currently occupying the bed. He stretched slowly, his back popping and causing a concerned whimper to come from Hakyeon. 

 

“Let’s do this, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so. this took longer to write than anticipated for a multitude of reasons. i dont want to go in depth, as to not trigger anyone, but the events of the past month have taken their toll on me and im sure it has on a lot of the readers of this story. i got myself back into the place where i felt like writing again, so here you guys go. i hope terrible smut can make you happy sdjfks. also, the equinox ceremony will be in the next chapter, so i hope you look forward to reading it as much as i do to writing it


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